Vulcanobatrachus
Encyclopedia
Vulcanobatrachus is an extinct genus
of fossil frog. The new genus which contains the single species Vulcanobatrachus mandelai found at Marydale, South Africa was recently described. The genus owes its name to the fact that fossils were recovered from an extinct volcanic crater lake of Late Cretaceous
origin. The fossil frogs are assumed to have died following a degassing event (possibly of CO2) by the volcano.
The existence of fossil specimens was discovered accidentally in the late 1970s during prospecting of the volcanic kimberlite
pipe for diamonds by de Beers
Mining Company. Specimens of Vulcanobatrachus mandelai are curated by Iziko Museums, Gardens, Cape Town.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of fossil frog. The new genus which contains the single species Vulcanobatrachus mandelai found at Marydale, South Africa was recently described. The genus owes its name to the fact that fossils were recovered from an extinct volcanic crater lake of Late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
origin. The fossil frogs are assumed to have died following a degassing event (possibly of CO2) by the volcano.
The existence of fossil specimens was discovered accidentally in the late 1970s during prospecting of the volcanic kimberlite
Kimberlite
Kimberlite is a type of potassic volcanic rock best known for sometimes containing diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an diamond in 1871 spawned a diamond rush, eventually creating the Big Hole....
pipe for diamonds by de Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
Mining Company. Specimens of Vulcanobatrachus mandelai are curated by Iziko Museums, Gardens, Cape Town.
See also
- Prehistoric amphibian
- List of prehistoric amphibians